Karl Seitz (1869-1950)
Federal President from 1918 until 1920
Born in Vienna, he decided at a very early age to embark on a career as a schoolmaster. He soon took an active part in the Social Democratic movement as an expert on educational policy. From 1901, he was a member of the Reichsrat, the Austrian Parliament, and later sat in the Lower Austrian Diet (regional parliament).In 1918, he became chairman of the Social Democratic Workers’ Party and one of the three Speakers of the Provisional National Assembly. In 1919, as Speaker of the Constituent Assembly, he took charge of the function of Austrian Head of State which he filled for two years. Elected Mayor of Vienna in 1923, he was removed from office and imprisoned in 1934. He was again arrested in 1944 by the Nazi authorities. After 1945, he served as a member of the Austrian National Assembly. Until his death, he was Honorary Chairman of the Austrian Social Democratic Party (SPÖ).
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